Considering the event's not being held until mid-January, it's a safe bet we won't see any of Valve's recent announcements on store shelves this year. After all, professional feedback tends to be the most effective before a product is available to the public. Developers have until Oct. 25 to guarantee themselves a spot, otherwise it's first-come-first-serve.

Looking from the outside, it sounds like the event's a much more closed form of GDC. Valve's calling it an “off the record” event, meaning the press and general public are barred from attending. If you're a developer, however, some bright ideas and $95 are the cost of admission, though I doubt Valve actually checks how good your ideas are before letting you in.